


One Comfort

by ALilyPea (alilypea)



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-11
Updated: 2011-10-11
Packaged: 2017-10-24 12:46:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/263612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alilypea/pseuds/ALilyPea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin’s misery is written on his face, evident in his eyes when he looked at Arthur and Arthur finds himself near aggravated at how much he wants to comfort Merlin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think.

**Title:** One Comfort

 **Fandom:** Merlin

 **Pairing:** Arthur/Merlin

 **Rating:** PG-13 

 **Summary:** Merlin’s misery is written on his face, evident in his eyes when he looked at Arthur and Arthur finds himself near aggravated at how much he wants to comfort Merlin.

 **Spoilers:** 1.10 “The Moment of Truth”

 **Notes:** Please let me know what you think.

Arthur has never had a best friend, not before Merlin, and it isn’t as though he’s going to inform his manservant of _that._

He doesn’t know what it is to lose one. 

He doesn’t like to think about what it would be like if he were to lose Merlin, as the thought renders him temporarily and uncomfortably numb.

Arthur has lost people of course, although that is a term he hates to use. It’s not as though anyone has ever seen or known to die will be _found_  any time soon.

His mother was lost to him, many knights, a child he’d known when he was about eight who could have been a friend until Uther had put him on the pyre for practicing sorcery.

They’re getting ready to leave Ealdor and Arthur’s shoulders are so tight with tension that his head is beginning to ache, and the silence hanging heavy in the barn as Merlin and he prepare the horses is making it worse. It’s stifling and Arthur doesn’t quite know what to say to make it better. 

“Merlin,” the name falls from his lips and he waits a moment, long enough for the silence to be filled with the beat of a drum should there have been one. 

Merlin turns to him and his eyes seem so bright, so intensely blue, as though his grief for his friend has taken on a colour and it is present here. His misery is written all over his face, and as crystalline tears threaten to spill Arthur’s discomfort grows as he walks over to his manservant.

Reaching out Arthur grips his shoulders tightly, firmly, a little surprised at how slight Merlin seems in his grief and shakes him just once, gentle.

“I am sorry for your loss Merlin, Will was a good man, in the end, and saved us all,” he tells Merlin and before he can even think on it draws him into a hug despite his own awkwardness.

Merlin freezes, as though he doesn’t know what to do then leans into Arthur and Arthur starts just a bit when he feels Merlin’s lips against the skin of his neck as he buries his face there and shudders just once before an awful, wretched sound spills from his lips.

Arthur brings his arms up, his hands pressed against Merlin’s back as he holds him there, allowing his manservant to take his comfort for a few moments until Merlin seems to calm down a bit and pulls away.

Merlin’s cheeks are red with embarrassment and he scrubs his cheeks with his hands before his eyes rise to meet Arthur’s and a small smile lights up his face.

Arthur ignores the tightness in his chest and the need he feels as he turns and walks back to his horse.

“We won’t speak of this again,” he tells Merlin gruffly.

“Of course not _Sire_ ,” Merlin replies, letting out a brief laugh. “We wouldn’t want anyone to know you are human would we?” 

Arthur rolls his eyes but allows himself a bit of a smile as he double-checks the saddle. 

Merlin will be okay. 

 **The End**

  




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